There is a growing interest in efficient storage of wearing apparel and especially in efficient storage of shoes. A number of shoe racks of varying design have been developed with an objects directed toward improving the efficiency of shoe storage but each suffers from one or more limitations. Examples of such shoe racks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,135,389, 3,254,354, 4,036,367, 4,915,238, 4,946,048, 5,033,626, 5,050,746, 5,065,871 and 5,127,528, which disclosures are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Various shoe racks disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,135,389, 3,254,354, 4,036,367 include a plurality of storage members which rotate about a shaft mounted on a base. The embodiments are portable and the rotatable storage members provide ready access to the shoes; however, the shoes are either stored in storage members which restrict air circulation, thereby promoting the growth of mildew and odor-causing bacteria, or the shoes are exposed to dust and dirt. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,367, a shoe rack is disclosed which has storage members storing shoes in a substantially horizontal position, allowing for reasonably good air circulation, and it provides dust covers to protect each tier of shoes. Unfortunately, the covers themselves accumulate dust, requiring attention to keep them clean. No provision is made to easily adjust the storage capacity of the disclosed shoe racks because storage members cannot be easily added or removed. Shoes of different sizes cannot be stored efficiently because no provision is made to adjust vertical spacing between storage members. Furthermore, convenience is impaired because no provision is made to adjust the height of the storage members above the floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,238 discloses a "Stackable Shoe Rack" which is portable, provides reasonable air circulation, minimizes exposure of the shoes to dust and dirt, and the rack itself accumulates very little dust. The storage capacity of the rack can be adjusted by installing additional storage members but the vertical spacing between members cannot be adjusted; therefore, shoes of different sizes cannot be efficiently stored and the height above the floor cannot be easily adjusted. Furthermore, access to some shoes can be difficult because the storage members do not rotate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,048 discloses an "Adjustable Shoe Carousel" which rotates, allows adjustment of the height of the storage member above the floor, and allows for good air circulation; however, the shoes are exposed to dust and the storage capacity of the rack is very limited because only one storage member is disclosed. Because of the complexity of the structure, embodiments with additional members may be impractical. Even if the addition of members is practical, no provision is made for adjusting the vertical spacing between storage members.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,626 discloses a "Rotating Shoe Enclosure Rack" which is portable, allows tiers of storage members to be added and removed as desired, provides reasonable air circulation, and provides protection against dust; however, the top surface of the rack does require attention to keep it clean and each tier of storage members cannot be adjusted to accommodate shoes of different sizes. The largest shoe which can be stored in a tier is fixed at the time of manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,746 discloses a "Rotary Shoe Rack" of storage members which store shoes in a substantially horizontal position, thereby exposing the shoes to dust. The rack is not portable and storage members cannot be easily added or removed because the rack requires both a lower and an upper support. Although no details are disclosed, an embodiment is mentioned only briefly which allows for adjusting the vertical spacing between storage members.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,871 discloses a "Multi-deck Type of Rotary Shoe Rack" which has rotatable storage members and allows for reasonable air circulation. No provision is made for adjusting the vertical spacing between the storage members. Furthermore, shoes are not stored very securely because they dangle from rods protruding from sockets separated by sleeves.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,528 discloses an "Extendible Rotary Shoe Rack" which provides rotatable storage members which minimize shoe exposure to dust and dirt by storing the shoes in a substantially vertical position. Unfortunately, the rack is not portable because it requires both a lower and an upper support. Storage capacity may be adjusted by adding or removing hook-like members to a central column; however, the shoe rack is expensive to manufacture because its structure is fairly complex.